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Glossary S-HOOK Metal hooks placed through the grommet holes of a salvage cover to secure the cover. SABA Supplied air-breathing apparatus. SADT See Self-Accelerating Decomposition Temperature. SAFE ZONE A geographical region beyond the warm zone where there is no suspected product contamination; often referred to as the cold zone or the outermost zone. SAFETY Freedom from man-equipment-material-environmental interactions that result in injury or illness. SAFETY OFFICER Responsible for monitoring and assessing safety hazards and unsafe conditions and developing measures for ensuring personnel safety. Member of the Command Staff. The Safety Officer is a required position at a hazmat incident based upon the requirements of OSHA 1910.120. SAFETY RELIEF VALVE A device found on pressure cargo tanks containing an operating part that is held in place by spring force; valves open and close at set pressures. SALVAGE A procedure for protecting the structure and its contents from additional losses resulting from smoke, water, and heat. SALVAGE COVER A waterproof cover made of cotton duck, plastic, or some other material and used by fire departments to protect unaffected furniture and areas of buildings from heat, smoke, and water damage; a tarpaulin. SALVAGE KIT An assortment of tools and appliances used for a specific purpose during the salvage operation. SAMPLING The collection of representative portion of the universe. Example: the collection of a water sample from a contaminated stream. SANDSHOE A flat steel plate that serves as ground contact on the supports of a trailer and used instead of wheels particularly where the ground surface is expected to be soft. SARA See Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act. SATELLITE RECEIVER The indoor electronic component of an earth station that down converts, processes and prepares satellite signals for viewing or listening. SATURATED HYDROCARBONS A hydrocarbon possessing only single covalent bonds. All of the carbon atoms are saturated with hydrogen. Examples include methane (CH4), propane (C3H8), and butane (C4H10). SBPP See spunbonded polypropylene. SCBA Self-contained breathing apparatus. SCORING A reduction in the thickness of the container shell. It is an indentation in the container made by a relatively blunt object. A score is characterized by the relocation of the container or weld metal so that the metal is pushed aside along the track of contact with the blunt object. SCOUR To cleanse; purge. SCUBA Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus. SEAT OF FIRE The area in which the main body of fire is located. SECOND RESPONDERS Those personnel required to assist or relieve first responders at a hazardous materials incident due to their specialized knowledge, equipment, or experience; can include State environmental protection or health officials, commercial response and clean-up companies, and appropriate industry representatives. SECONDARY CONTAMINATION Contamination by emergency response personnel of medical or related personnel outside of the hot zone. SECONDARY DECONTAMINATION Decontamination between the primary (gross) and tertiary stages. Used after gross decontamination removes the major portion of the product. Depending on the incident it may be the final stage prior to doffing outer clothing. SECTION That organization level within the Incident Management System having functional responsibility for primary segments of incident operations, such as Operations, Planning, Logistics and Administration/Finance. The section level is organizationally between the branch and the Incident Commander. SECTOR Is either a geographic or functional assignment. Sector may take the place of either the Division or Group or both. SEIZURE Convulsion; fit; attack of violent muscle contractions. SELF-ACCELERATING DECOMPOSITION TEMPERATURE Refers to organic peroxides or other synthetic chemicals that decompose at ambient temperature, or react to light or heat, resulting in a chemical breakdown. This releases oxygen, energy, and fuel in the form of rapid fire or explosion. To ensure stabilization, these materials must be kept in a dark and/or refrigerated environment. (Kept at MSST). SELF-CONTAINED BREATHING APPARATUS (SCBA) Breathing apparatus with full facepiece and an independent supply of air; abbreviated. SEMITRAILER A truck trailer equipped with one or more axles and constructed so that the front end and a substantial part of its own weight and that of its load rest upon a truck tractor. SENSITIZE To become highly responsive or easily receptive to the effects of toxic chemical agents after the initial exposure. SENSITIZER A substance that, on first exposure, causes little or no reaction in humans or test animals. On repeated exposure, the same substance may cause a marked response not necessarily limited to the contact site. SERIES OPERATION An operation of the centrifugal pump in which each impeller provides its water volume and pressure to another impeller thus building pressure until the final impeller delivers the water to the discharge. See Pressure Operation. SERVICE TEST Series of tests performed on apparatus and equipment in order to ensure operational readiness of the unit; should be performed at least yearly or whenever a piece of apparatus or equipment has undergone extensive repair. SEVERE A relative term used to describe the degree to which hazardous materials releases can cause adverse effects to human health and the environment. SEXLESS COUPLING Coupling with no distinct male or female components. Normally found on Large Diameter Hose (LDH). Also called Storz Coupling. SHEER SECTIONS A safety feature, such as a valve or joint, built onto a cargo tank, which is designed to fail or break completely to prevent a failure or break of the tank itself. SHELF COUPLER A type of coupler with a vertical restraint mechanism on the top and bottom. It serves to reduce the potential for coupler disengagement in a rail accident. SHELTERING IN PLACE/IN PLACE PROTECTION To direct people to quickly go inside a building and remain inside until the danger passes. SHIELDING The act or process of protecting or supplying with a protective device or screen. An example is a screen that protects against radiation. SHIPPER A person, company, or agency offering material for transportation. SHIPPING NAME The proper shipping name or other common name for the material; also any synonyms for the material. SHIPPING PAPERS A shipping order, bill of lading, manifest, or other shipping document issued by the carrier. SHOP The fire department maintenance or repair area. SHORT TERM EXPOSURE LIMIT (STEL) A 15-minute time-weighted average exposure which should not be exceeded at any time during a workday even if the 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) is within the threshold limit value (TLV.) Exposures at the STEL should not be repeated more than four times a day and there should be at least 60 minutes between successive exposures at the STEL. SHOULDER CARRY A procedure of carrying fire hose on the shoulder. SHUTOFF NOZZLE A type of nozzle, the water supply to which can be controlled at the nozzle, rather than at the source of supply; type of nozzle that has a valve or other device for controlling the water supply, firefighters use it to control water supply at the nozzle rather than at the source of supply. SIAMESE A hose appliance that has two or more female inlets and one male outlet; two or more inlets for one outlet; connects two lines into one. SILLESS (RAIL) A short, longitudinal structural member welded to both ends of the tank to accommodate the coupler and gear shaft. It also attaches the tank to its trucks. With this type of underframe, the tank becomes the structural member that transmits the draft and buff forces associated with train movement. SIMPLE ASPHYXIANT A material that replaces the amount of oxygen admitted into the body without further damage to tissues or poisoning. Examples are nitrogen and carbon dioxide. SINGLE-STAGE CENTRIFUGAL PUMP A centrifugal pump with only one impeller. SINKER A substance that forms an immiscible system with water, but as the specific gravity is greater than 1.0, these materials will sink below the surface of the water. Alkyl halides, such as carbon tetrachloride and many pesticides, exert this nonpolar, physical behavior. SIPHON Section of hard suction hose or piece of pipe used to maintain an equal level of water in two or more portable tanks. SIREN A warning device that provides a high-pitched or an alternating high-pitched and low-pitched wailing sound, used by emergency vehicles. SITE Location. SITE MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL The management and control of the physical site of a hazmat incident. Includes initially establishing command, approach and positioning, staging, establishing initial perimeter and hazard control zones, and public protective actions. SITE SAFETY PLAN Written site-specific safety criteria that establish requirements for protecting the health and safety of responders during all activities conducted at an incident. SIZE One of a series of graduated measurements in manufactured articles of clothing conventionally identified by numbers, letters or words. SIZE-UP A mental process of evaluating all of the influencing factors at a fire prior to the commitment of personnel and equipment to a course of action; an estimation of a condition to which an opinion or judgment can be formed. SIZING STANDARDS See ANSI 101-1996. SKID LOAD A system of loading fire hose arranged for the top layer to be pulled off separately at the fire. SKILLED SUPPORT PERSONNEL Personnel who are skilled in the operation of certain equipment, such as cranes and hoisting equipment, and who are needed temporarily to perform immediate emergency support work that cannot reasonably be performed in a timely fashion by emergency response personnel. SKIN DOSAGE This is equal to the time of exposure in minutes of an individual’s unprotected skin multiplied by the concentration of the agent cloud. SLIDING FIFTH WHEEL A fifth wheel assembly capable of being moved forward or backward on the truck tractor to vary load distribution on the tractor and to adjust the overall length of combination. SLIDING ROPE A system used by firefighters for lowering themselves from the upper stories of a building to the ground or into a below ground area. SLOPE SHEET Panels located at each end of payload compartment that direct product by gravity to hoppers. SLURRY A pourable mixture of solid and liquid. SMALL DIAMETER HOSE (SDH) Hose of 3/4 to 2 inches (20 mm to 50 mm) in diameter; used for fire fighting purposes. SMALL LINE Any fire hose from 1 1/2 or 1 3/4-inch and smaller. See Handline and Booster Line. SMOKE EJECTOR A mechanical device for blowing smoke from a building or fresh air into a building; sometimes equipped with a flexible tube. SMOTHERING The act of excluding the oxidizer from a fuel. SMS See spunbonded-meltblown-spunbonded fabrics SNOW Video noise or sparkles caused by an insufficient signal-to-noise input ratio to a television or monitor. SOFT SLEEVE HOSE Large diameter, collapsible piece of intake hose used to connect a fire pump to a pressurized water supply source; sometimes incorrectly referred to as "soft suction hose." SOIL CONTAMINATION Contamination of the ground area where a pesticide spill or fire occurs, or where contaminated runoff water flows. SOLID The state of matter having definite volume and rigid shapes. Its atoms or molecules are restricted to only vibration. SOLID STREAM Hose stream that stays together as a solid mass as opposed to a fog or spray stream; a water stream produced from a smooth bore nozzle. SOLUBILITY The ability or tendency of one substance to blend uniformly with or dissolve into another; the ability of a material to dissolve in water or another liquid. The ability of a substance to form a solution with another substance. SOLUTION Mixture of one or more substances in another in which all ingredients are completely dissolved. SOLVENT A liquid that will dissolve a substance to form a solution. Some examples of solvents are water, petroleum distillate, xylene, or methanol. A substance, usually a liquid, capable of absorbing another liquid, gas, or solid to form a homogeneous mixture. SOURCE STRENGTH The weight of a chemical agent that is at the chemical accident/incident site and may be released into the environment. SPALLING Destruction of a surface by frost, heat, corrosion or mechanical causes. In concrete, may be caused by the expansion and contraction of moisture contained within the concrete. SPANNER WRENCH A tool used by firefighters for tightening or loosening couplings, prying, etc. SPECIALIST EMPLOYEE Employees who, in the course of their regular job duties, work with and are trained in the hazards of specific hazardous substances and who will be called upon to provide technical advice or assistance to the incident Commander at a hazmat incident. SPECIFIC GRAVITY The weight of a substance as compared to the weight of an equal volume of water. SPILL The scattering or dispersion of a liquid or any matter in loose pieces from the; original container and into the environment. SPILLWAY A channel or passage for the escape of surplus water from a dam, river, etc. SPLASH-PROTECTIVE SUIT A one or multi-piece garment that is constructed of protective clothing materials, designed and configured to protect the wearer's torso, head, arms and legs against liquid splashes of hazardous chemicals. SPLITTER A device that takes a signal and splits into two or more identical but lower power signals. SPONTANEOUS HEATING Heating resulting from chemical or bacterial action in combustible materials, which may lead to spontaneous ignition. SPONTANEOUS IGNITION An exothermic chemical or bacterial action in an atmosphere, which prevents the dissipation of created heat until the ignition temperature of the material involved is reached and flame propagation begins. Ignition which can occur when certain materials such as tung oil are stored in bulk, resulting from the generation of heat, which cannot be readily dissipated; often heat is generated by microbial action. SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUSTIBLE The process in increase in temperature of a material to a point of ignition, without drawing heat from its surroundings. SPORE A reproductive form some microorganisms can take to become resistant to environmental conditions, such as extreme heat or cold, while in a "resting phase". SPOTTER Firefighter who walks behind a backing apparatus to provide guidance for the driver/operator. SPOTTING Positioning the apparatus in a location that provides the utmost efficiency for operating on the foreground. SPRAY A system of applying water through specially designed nozzles in the form of finely divided particles. SPREAD OF FIRE See Extension of Fire. SPRING-LOADED PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE A spring-held safety device that releases to the atmosphere when the internal pressure in the tank exceeds the tank’s design. Upon release of the pressure the spring pulls the valve closed. SPRINKLER CONNECTION A siamese connection used by the fire department for increasing the water supply and pressure to a sprinkler system. See Fire Department Connection. SPRINKLER TONGS A tool used to stop the flow of water from a sprinkler head. SPRINKLER WEDGE OR BLOCK Devices used to temporarily shut off the flow of water from a sprinkler head. SPUNBONDED OLEFIN Spunbonded olefin is manufactured via a proprietary process in which fine polyolefin fibers are randomly distributed on a moving belt and thermally bonded to produce a sheet structure. SPUNBONDED POLYPROPYLENE (SBPP) SBPP fabrics are a generic class of nonwoven material with minimal barrier properties used in low-cost, disposable commodity applications such as diapers. SPUNBONDED-MELTBLOWN-SPUNBONDED (SMS) FABRICS SMS fabrics are generic nonwovens generally made of polypropylene. Primarily used in diapers, SMS fabrics consist of a thin layer of small meltblown fibers sandwiched between layers of spunbonded fibers. SQUEEGEE A rubber-edged device for moving water. STABILIZATION The point in an incident at which the adverse behavior of the hazardous materials is controlled. STAGE OF THE INCIDENT One of the five definite and identifiable phases through which an emergency passes from onset (interruption of normal conditions) or stabilization. STAGING Process by which non-committed units responding to a fire or other emergency incident are stopped at a location away from the fire scene to await their assignment. The moving of personnel or equipment forward in several stages, or the assembling of resources or materials in transit in a particular place prior to a new operation or mission. STAGING AREA Location away from the emergency scene where units assemble and wait until they are assigned a position on the emergency scene; location on the emergency scene where tools and personnel are assembled before being used or assigned. STAND BY To remain immediately available. STANDARD APPARATUS Apparatus that conforms to the standards set forth by the National Fire Protection Association standards on fire apparatus design. STANDARD THREAD National Standard Hose Threads; NST, NH, or NSHT. STANDARD TIME-TEMPERATURE CURVE A graph that shows the rise and fall in temperature at a given time of a test fire. STANDARD TRANSPORTATION COMMODITY CODE (OR STCC CODE NUMBER) A listing of code numbers for categories of articles being shipped, in general use by carriers. STANDARDIZED MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS Global systems such as ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 for managing quality and environmental performance. STANDPIPE SYSTEM Wet or dry system of pipes in a large single-story or multistory building with fire hose outlets connected to them. The system is used to provide for quick deployment of hoselines during fire fighting operations. STARBOARD The right side of a ship or airplane looking forward. Opposite of port. STATES OF MATTER The physical forms of matter including solid, liquid, gas, super critical fluids and plasmas. STATIC ELECTRICITY The creation of an accumulation of electrical charges on opposing surfaces either by the separation of unlike materials or by the movement of surfaces. STATIC PRESSURE Water pressure head available when no flow is being permitted; does not include pressure losses. STATIC SOURCE A body of water that is not under pressure or in a supply piping system and must be drafted from in order to be used. Static sources include ponds, lakes, rivers, wells, and so on. STATION BILL (SHIP) A list posted in a ship containing the appointed position of each member of the ship’s company in any emergency. STCC NUMBER The Standard Transportation Commodity Code number used in the rail industry; a seven-digit number assigned to a specific article or group of articles and used in the determination of rates. For hazardous materials shipments, the number will begin with the digits "49" indicating reference to Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations (which deals with regulation of hazardous materials transport). STEADY-STATE PERMEATION RATE A constant rate of permeation that occurs after breakthrough when all forces affecting permeation have reached equilibrium. STEAMER CAP/COVER The cover of a steamer connection on a hydrant or pumper. STEAMER CONNECTION A large diameter outlet at a hydrant or at the base of an elevated water storage, usually 4 1/2-inches in diameter; referred to as the drafting connection on a pumper. STEAMER HYDRANT Triple hydrant; having one 4 1/2 inch outlet and two 2 1/2 inch outlets. STEL (SHORT-TERM EXPOSURE LIMIT) Refers to an exposure that may be tolerated for a brief time. STERILE Free from viable microorganisms. STERILE TECHNIQUE Any process that will eliminate bacteriological or chemical contamination. STORZ COUPLING Sexless coupling commonly found on large diameter hose. STRAIGHT LAY Hose lay from the hydrant or water source to the fire. STRAINERS Wire or other metal guards used to prevent debris from clogging intake hose of fire pumps. STRATEGY The over-alI plan for fire control or attack. STREET BURN Deformation in the shell of a highway cargo tank. It is actually a long dent that is inherently flat. A street burn is generally caused by a container overturning and sliding some distance along a cement or asphalt road. STRENGTH (CORROSIVES) In corrosives the amount of product which will ionize in solution. Example: Hydrochloric acid is strong. Acetic acid is weak. Corrosives have "strength" and concentration." See Concentration. STRENGTH-TO-WEIGHT RATIO A measure of a material's value based on the ratio of tensile strength to basis weight. STRESS A state of tension put on or in a shipping container by internal chemical action, external mechanical damage or external flames or heat. STRESS EVENT An applied force or system of forces that tend to either strain or deform a container (external action) or trigger a change in the condition of the contents (internal action). Types of stress include thermal, mechanical, and chemical. STRESSOR A force exerted upon a body that tends to strain or deform its shape, whose intensity is usually measured in pounds per square inch. STRETCH HOSE To lay out hose as a line. STRIPPED TERRITORY An area that has been completely depleted of fire protection apparatus and manpower. STRUCTURAL FIREFIGHTING PROTECTIVE CLOTHING Protective clothing normally worn by firefighters during structural firefighting operations. It includes a helmet, coat, pants, boots, gloves, PASS device, and a hood to cover parts of the head not protected by the helmet. Structural firefighting clothing provides limited protection from heat but may not provide adequate protection from harmful liquids, gases, vapors, or dusts encountered during hazmat incidents. May also be referred to as turnout or bunker clothing. STRUCTURAL STABILITY A quality of resistance or firmness of character of a container or structure to withstand the chemical or physical forces exerted upon it. SUBACUTE EXPOSURE Less than acute. Of or pertaining to a disease or other abnormal condition present in a person who appears to be clinically well. The condition may be identified or discovered by means of a laboratory test or by radiologic examination. SUBBASEMENT A basement below the level of a first basement. SUBLIMATION Going from the solid to gaseous to solid state. The direct change of state from solid to vapor. SUBLIME The direct conversion of a solid to a vapor without first forming a liquid. SUCTION A misnomer used to describe the drafting process; referring to the intake side of a pump; intake is preferred. SUMP The low point of a tank at which the emergency valve or outlet valve is attached. SUPER COOLED The condition of a liquid cooled below its usual freezing point without solidifying, usually under pressure. SUPER HEATED The condition of a substance heated to a very high temperature; excessively or abnormally hot. Being heated (a liquid) above its normal boiling point without causing vaporization. Being heated (steam) apart from its own liquid until it resembles and will remain a dry or perfect gas at the specified pressure. SUPERFUND AMENDMENTS & REAUTHORIZATION ACT (SARA) Created for the purpose of establishing Federal statutes for right-to-know standards and emergency response to hazardous materials incidents, reauthorized the Federal Superfund program and mandated states to implement equivalent regulations/requirements. SUPINE Lying face up. SUPPLIED AIR SYSTEMS A system, which supplies air from an outside source. SUPPLY HOSE A term used to describe any hose that provides a water supply. See Relay-Supply Hose. SUPPORT ZONE See Cold Zone. SUPPRESSION Another meaning of the word control; however, suppression also implies the added meaning of overcoming. SURROGATE A less-hazardous, less-expensive substitute material that acts similarly to a hazardous material of interest; in protective clothing testing, non-hazardous surrogates are sometimes used in place of hazardous materials, such as extremely toxic chemicals or hazardous microbes. SURROGATE MICROBE A nonpathogenic microorganism used in testing as a substitute for a highly pathogenic microorganism. For example, in ASTM F1671, a nonpathogenic virus is used to evaluate the barrier of garment fabrics against hepatitis and AIDS viruses. SWEATING HOT PLATE A laboratory simulation used to evaluate how clothing impacts the body's cooling mechanism via sweating. SWITCH LIST A list of the cars in the train used by railroad crews in a yard when they are making up a train. SYNERGISTIC EFFECT The combined effect of two chemicals that is greater than the sum of the effect of each agent alone. SYNTHESIS The process of combining elements to make a compound. SYNTHETIC Man made; not made from a natural process. SYNTHETIC BLOOD A mixture of red dye surfactant, thickening agent and distilled water having a surface tension and viscosity, and a red color representative of blood and other body fluids, making it more usable for visible detection. SYSTEMIC Pertaining to the internal organs and structures of the body. SYSTEMIC EFFECT Pertaining to or affecting the body as a whole. |
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